Speedily adjustable clamping wrench



A ril 9, 1968 SPEEDILY ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING WRENCH Filed Nov. 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l mum D. VIENAT 3,376,766

A ril 9, 1968 D. VIENAT SPEEDILY ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1966 United States Patent 3,376,766 SPEEDILY ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING WRENCH Dominique Vienat, 5820 Tulips St., Montreal Nord, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 593,006 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 21, 1965,

9,347 8 Claims. (Cl. 81-138) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to improvements in wrenches the head of which clamps an article through a shifting of one of its jaw-carrying arms such as those disclosed in my prior French Patent 1,356,659 filed on May 4, 1963 and its additions filed respectively on Feb. 25, 1964 and Apr. 1, 1965.

The characteristic features of my invention are directed chiefly to means for guiding in exact parallelism the jaw of the movable arm with respect to the jaw of the stationary arm as provided through the agency of a dove-tailed fitting and of an insert block cooperating with an opening formed in the stationary arm, while means are provided for locking the movable arm after opening of the wrench to the desired extent through the agency of a pivoting bar controlled by a lever adapted to cooperate through its teeth with the teeth of said block and further means control the spacing of the jaws towards and away from each other as provided by a stud cooperating with oblique slots formed in the arms. These and other advantageous features will appear clearly from the following descri tion, reference being made to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and by no means in a limiting sense.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the wrench arranged in the order of their assembly,

FIG. 2 is a view of the clamping wrench according to my invention as seen in side elevation,

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line a-b of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the head of the wrench in a position allowing a free sliding of the movable arm, and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, in which the movable arm is locked in position.

The adjustable clamping wrench according to my invention includes chiefly a suitably shaped stationary arm 1 provided at its lower end with an opening 1 having a polygonal outline so as to form a socket wrench, whereas the upper end of said arm is provided with a trapezoidal slot 1 one longitudinal edge of which forms a rectilinear surface 1 parallel with a sloping upper edge 1 of the arm, which edge acts as a guide for the movable arm 2 while the opposite edge of said slot forms a surface 1 extending obliquely with reference to the edge 1 Underneath the trapezoidal slot 1 the stationary arm 1 is provided with an oblique slot 1 opening into the outer surface of the arm through a flaring clearance 1 with parallel edges. Above the trapezoidal slot 1 the edge of the jaw 1 on the stationary arm 1 fonns a surface perpendicular to the above-mentioned rectilinear transversely sloping surface 1 terminating the arm.

The movable arm 2 superposed over the stationary arm 1 includes at its upper end a jaw 2 of a greater thickness facing the jaw 1 on the stationary arm and relieved along its lower edge by the provision within its thickness of a dove-tailed clearance 2 mating the sloping surface 1 on the jaw 1 and adapted to slide thereon.

Elongated extra thicknesses are formed on the movable arm 2 so as to act as abutments 2 and 2 adapted to engage the cooperating inner surface of the stationary arm 1, whereby there is obtained between the two arms 1 and 2 a gap inside which may be housed a locking lever 3.

It should also be noted that across the movable arm 2 there is provided a slot 2 the slope of which extends in a direction opposed to that of the slope of the slot 1 in the stationary arm, while it opens outwardly through a recess 2 having parallel edges.

A transverse projection 4 is rigid with the inner sur face of the movable arm 2 at a point located underneath the jaw 2 and it extends into the gap between the two abutments 2 and 2 Said stud may be freely fitted inside a block 5 of a polygonal cross-section slidingly housed in the slot 1 of the stationary arm 1, the trapezoidal cross-section of which registers through its edge 1 with the outline of said block. Thereby, the block 5 slidingly engages at its upper surface said rectilinear edge 1 so as to ensure in association with the dove-tailed guide on the movable arm 2 a perfectly parallel guiding of the jaw 2 whatever may be its spacing with reference to the stationary jaw 1 It should also be noted that on its lower surface facing away from the edge 1 the block 5 is provided with skew teeth 5 adapted to cooperate upon locking of the wrench with the cooperating teeth 6 on a pivoting lever 6. Said lever which is flat engages through its rounded end a semi-circular recess 1 in the trapezoidal slot 1 so as to permanently engage the sloping edge 1 of the slot 1 To this end, a spring blade 7 fitted on or otherwise secured to the rounded end of the lever 6 is bent at its projecting end, so as to permanently bear against the transverse surface 1 registering therewith in the slot 1 whereby the said lever is permanently urged into its position engaging the edge 1 and consequently the teeth 5 and 6 are disengaged.

A notch 8 of a preferably elliptic cross-section is formed half in the lever 6 and half in the arm 1, in registry with the sloping surface 1 of the slot 1 so that it is possible to insert into said notch an elliptic camshaped projection 9 which forms the pivotal axis of the locking lever 3 which is slidingly fitted as mentioned hereinabove in the gap separating the two arms 1 and 2.

It is apparent from said description that the adjustment of the opening between the jaws as illustrated in FIG. 4 is obtained when the lever 3 is in its open position in a manner such that the spring blade 7 causes the toothed lever 6 to pivot in the direction of the arrow F (FIG. 4) with a view to releasing the teeth 5 and 6 with reference to each other.

It should be noted at this point that with a view to furthering the release of the toothed lever 6 when in its closed position, the height of the teeth 6 is gradually reduced in the direction of the rounded end of the lever engaging the recess 1 over a length which is substantially equal to that of the teeth 5 on the block 5.

When it is desired to lock the jaw in position, it is sufficient to act in the reverse direction on the control lever 6 in the direction of the arrow F 1 (FIG. 5) so as to produce, through the agency of the cam 9, a pivotal movement of the lever 6 against the opposition of the spring 7, which causes reengaging of the teeth and 6 Thus, the jaw 2 is locked and retains exactly its position, however great a stress is exerted on the wrench.

It should also be noted that the mechanism described is protected by an outer plate of plastic material, for instance, which is removably secured through clamping or otherwise onto the stationary arm 1. Said plate 10 also resists outward shifting of the block 5 and the pivoting lever 6, and it may carry any desired visible inscription such as the maximum opening length of the wrench.

The movement of the jaws 2 and 1 towards and away from each other is ensured by the cylindrical stud 11 shown separate in FIG. 1, which extends in succession through both sloping slots 1 and 2 of opposite directions and thus defines the crossing point between said slots. The fiat-sided end with rounded edges 11 of said stud is slidingly housed in the transverse clearance 2 corresponding thereto in the movable arm 2.

The opposite end of the stud engages an assembling slider 12 striated on its outer surface, which slider is fitted in and slides along the transverse clearance 1' of the stationary arm and is provided with an axial opening in which the head of the screw 13 is held, said screw cooperating with a tapped hole 11 corresponding thereto in the stud 11. The slider 12 associated with the stud allows thus when longitudinally shifted inside the clearance 1 the movement of the jaws 2 and 1 towards and away from each other, this being obtained as a consequence of the shifting of the crossing point between the slots 1 and 2 A scale 1 formed in registry with a reference mark R on the slider 12 provides a direct reading of the spacing between the jaws.

The clamping wrench thus produced shows a reduced thickness, its adjustment is speedy and its locking in position is perfectly reliable.

Obviously, said arrangements may be incorporated with other wrenches such as those disclosed in the abovementioned French patent and its additions.

Obviously also the present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment disclosed, nor to the structure of the different parts which has been more particularly described, and it covers in contradistinction all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A clamping wrench comprising a stationary arm, a movable arm, means guiding the movable arm along a straight line over the stationary arm, a jaw rigid with a portion of the upper edge of each arm, said jaws being provided with clamping surfaces facing each other and extending perpendicularly to said straight line, means controlling the position of the movable arm with reference to the stationary arm and thereby the spacing between said elamping jaws and means adapted to lock the arms with reference to each other in any relative position, said guiding means including a transverse extension of the movable arm forming a dove-tailed slideway overlapping the upper edge of the stationary arm adjacent the jaw on the latter, a block secured to the movable arm and means provided on the stationary arm and guiding said block along a line parallel with said upper edge of the stationary arm.

2. A clamping wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guiding means includes a projection rigid with the side of the movable arm facing the stationary arm, said block being fitted freely over said projection and provided with skew teeth along one of its edges, said means locking the arms with reference to each other including a lever pivotally secured to the stationary arm and provided with skew teeth facing the skew teeth on the block, a spring urging said lever into a position for which its teeth are out of engagement with the teeth on the block,

and means to urge the lever into position in which the skew teeth thereon are in clamping relationship with the teeth on the block thereby to hold the arms fast in the relative position assumed by them, the latter means being adapted to engage said lever against the action of its spring.

3. A wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said arms are provided with slots sloping in opposite directions, said means controlling the position of the movable arm including a stud extending through both said slots to define the location of the movable arm along said straight line.

4-. A wrench as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stud comprises a slider constituted by two rigid interconnected parts engaging obliquely each one of the slots.

5. A wrench as claimed in claim 3 wherein the sides of each slot flare outwardly away from the arm provided with the other slot, each part of said slider being slidingly fitted between the flaring sides of the corresponding slot, and a screw fastening said parts rigidly together.

6. A clamping wrench comprising a stationary arm, a movable arm, means guiding the movable arm along a straight line over the stationary arm, a jaw rigid with a portion of the upper edge of each arm, said jaws being provided with clamping surfaces facing each other and extending perpendicularly to said straight line, means controlling the position of the movable arm with reference to the stationary arm and thereby the spacing between said clamping jaws and means adapted to lock the arms with reference to each other in any relative position, said guiding means including a projection rigid with the side of the movable arm facing the stationary flange, a block freely fitted over said projection and provided with skew teeth along one of its edges and means provided on the stationary arm for guiding said block along a line parallel with said upper edge of the stationary arm, said means for locking the arms with reference to each other including a lever pivotally secured to the stationary arm between the latter and the movable arm and provided with skew teeth facing the skew teeth on the block, a spring urging said lever into a position for which its teeth are disengaged from the teeth on the block, and means to urge the lever into a position in which the skew teeth thereon are in clamping relationship with the teeth on the block thereby to hold the arms fast in the relative position assumed by them, the latter means comprising a cam conrolling the position of the lever and an external member adapted to shift said cam into a position for engaging the lever with reference to the block against the action of its spring.

7. A clamping wrench comprising a stationary arm, a movable arm, means guiding the movable arm along a straight line over the stationary arm, a jaw rigid with a portion of the upper edge of each arm, said jaws being provided with clamping surfaces facing each other and extending perpendicularly to said straight line, means controlling the position of the movable arm with reference to the stationary arm and thereby the spacing between said clamping jaws and means adapted to lock the arms with reference to each other in any relative position, said sationary arm being provided with a trapezoidal slot one edge of which is parallel with the upper edge of said arm, said guiding means including a transverse projection rigid with the side of the movable arm facing the stationary arm and engaging said trapezoidal slot, a block fitted freely over said projection, lying within the trapezoidal slot, one edge of said block slidingly engaging said one edge of the trapezoidal slot and the opposite edge of said block being provided with skew teeth, a plate secured to the side of the movable arm facing away from the movable arm and covering the trapezoidal slot therein to hold the block within the latter, said means for locking the arms with reference to each other including a lever pivotally secured to the stationary arm and lying within said trapezodial slot and provided with skew teeth facing the skew teeth on the block, a spring urging said lever into a position for which its teeth are disengaged from the teeth on the block, and means to urged the lever into a position in which the skew teeth thereon are in clamping relationship with the teeth on the block thereby to hold the arms fast in the relative position assumed by them, the latter means being adapted to engage said lever against the action of its spring.

8. A clamping wrench comprising a stationary arm, a movable arm, means guiding the movable arm along a straight line over the stationary arm, a jaw rigid with a portion of the upper edge of each arm, said jaws being provided with clamping surfaces facing each other and extending perpendicularly to said straight line, means controlling the position of the movable arm with reference to the stationary arm and thereby the spacing between said clamping jaws and means adapted to lock the arms with reference to each other in any relative position, said arms each being provided with an oblique slot, the sides of which flare outwardly away from the arm provided with the other slot, said slots sloping in opposite directions and crossing each other at a point depending on the relative position of the arms, said means controlling the relative position of said arms including a slider constituted by two parts fitted slidingly each between the flaring sides of the corresponding slot, at least one of said parts of said slider having an outwardly facing rough surface, a screw fastening said parts of the slider rigidly together, and a scale of jaw spacings extending along one of the slots for cooperation with the corresponding part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,485 1/1899 Smythe 81129 1,459,583 6/1923 Edstrom 81-138 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

